Treacherous Flower
by child of innocence
Summary: WIP Written in the second person from Narcissa's unique POV on life as a Malfoy and Snape and his difficult choices. SSHG By now is severely AU!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine and I'm not profiting any by playing with them. All the knuts and kudos go to J K Rowling , etc.

A/N This was begun for the WIKTT 2nd person challenge a long long long time ago and never ever fulfilled all the requirements.

You couldn't believe your eyes?

Certainly not! That was a thought you'd never had. Your lifelong behavioral conditioning as well as your prominent role in social circles precluded such reactions. You were the daughter of a powerful family and the wife of a powerful man. A man that had publicly walked the darkest road prior to pulling out of the penumbra into the glare of polite wizarding society through the influence of his money and his name. Your husband's politics as well as his past and present associates mandated constant wariness. Life as the wife of a (former) Death Eater and the mother of another (potential) Death Eater didn't allow for you to publicly or privately show true feelings.

Your success and sometimes your life and liberty depended on your skill at telling not only the human mind but also the human heart. Not that as the wife of Lucius Malfoy you were surrounded by people of particularly tender sentiment or open affections. People's affectations covered deceptions, masking ambitions, hiding their fears and their desires. Lucius' contemporaries were nothing if not complex studies.

Severus Snape had always been your favorite study. He was the most artless Death Eater you'd ever met, truly deferent only to the Dark Lord himself. He succeeded in society without ever currying favor because he was useful to the Master. Voldemort surrounded himself with a preponderance of toadies and bullies and not many truly great minds. It was the unintelligent sort that you had heard clearly leveling their casual contempt and criticism at Snape. You knew what most would never admit to themselves, that the Potion's Master was feared.

Even in your days as a Slytherin two years his junior, Severus had been subject to your observation. The fact that you were Sirius Black's cousin had certainly never recommended you to him and had prevented you from exchanging anything but necessary speech with him. He acknowledged you only because you were promised to his closest ally. Lucius employed both you and Snape equally back then to be his eyes and ears in the Snake's Den and Hogwart's at large.

The antipathy between Sirius and Severus in school had been palpable. To then throw James Potter into the mix had made a lethal combination, almost. Severus' regard for Lily Evans, her mind as well as her physical attributes (after all he had been a teenage boy!), had put extra strain on what little restraint those rash young men had possessed. In truth you had always known that Severus' feelings for Lily had been light. It had been too ingrained in every Slytherin mind in your generation that muggleborns, Gryffindor's particularly, were lower life forms. You had not been surprised to hear him call her "mudblood" to her face.

Nor had you been surprised at James and Sirius' retaliation. Potter you had come to calmly despise. It had been made clear over the years that he was above the rules. You were Slytherin enough to accept that rules did not apply to all equally. Yet with Sirius it had been personal. Sirius had been ignoring his blood ties, his duty to family and heritage. It had been with great satisfaction that you related the particulars of his treatment of Severus to your Auntie Eurydice. She had banned Sirius from the house shortly thereafter. Since that day you pondered many times whether it would be a kindness or curse to tell Severus the final circumstances of Sirius disinheritance.

Those bonds of blood and alliance kept Snape close to you over the years. Lucius and Severus had a relationship as near to friendship as two Slytherins could come. He was even your son's Godfather and a frequent dinner guest in your home. As such Snape was the witness to the only time you ever dared disagree with your husband.

It was Lucius' announcement one evening after dinner that he intended to send Draco to Durmstrang that sent your crystal glass of Malmsey to shatter into sharp splinters in a puddle of dark amber on the black and white marble and the Tabriz rug that adorned the floor in Lucius' study.

Your husband's confused attention focused on you but before he had the chance to inquire as to your welfare and sanity his mind was diverted.

"Really, Lucius, Durmstrang? Do you not trust me? I am his Godfather and surely will be his Head of House. Should I be insulted by your lack of confidence in my abilities to properly guide a young mind? Or is it that you fear Draco will be sorted into Hufflepuff?" You heard the daggers sheathed in silk in Severus' voice and felt your pulse slow a measure. Only Snape and the Dark Lord ever made your husband back down.

Lucius sniffed and raised his nose a notch, "Hufflepuff, indeed." But he had agreed. Even as close as they were, your husband knew Severus Snape was no wizard to cross. Lucius' wry smile contrasted with his gentle voice, "You win Narcissa." He snarled at the house elf that had begun to clean the floor before turning and stalking to the Adam fireplace to glare into the flames. You chanced a glance at Severus, surprised to see him incline his head a tiny bit in your direction as he lifted his snifter of Armangnac to you in silent salute. You broke eye contact with him then, not sure what his motives were but sure there was more to Snape than even you had imagined.

It was November of Draco's first year at Hogwart's before you saw the Potions Master again. The Head of Slytherin had cautious praise for the academic abilities of one of his newest house members. Praise did not come easily from Snape even for his godson. Your husband's steel grey eyes shined with pride. "Darling, it seems you and Severus may have been in the right." You couldn't stop the sad little smile that graced your lips. Not because that was the closest to an apology Lucius would ever give but because that was the first time he'd looked at you much less spoken to you since the night he'd 'decided' to send Draco to Hogwart's.

You were certain that not even Dumbledore knew how much time Professor Snape really spent at Malfoy Manor. Of course Snape kept you updated on Draco's progress by owl but it wasn't the same as hearing those terse accounts of your son's deeds and accomplishments from the man himself

If there was one consistent thing you noticed regarding all of Severus' visits it was the regular mention of Potter, Weasley, and Granger. Their names passed his lips with as much if not more frequency than Draco's. Your husband was always more than amused to hear the newest complaints about The Boy That Refused to Die, the youngest Weasley boy and that mudblood girl.

Severus said gravely without menace, "She is too smart for her own good by far."

You caught his gaze, inquiring, "Perhaps it is only her choice of loyalties that is not smart?" For a second sparks leapt in the black vortex of his eyes. You noted the moment but refrained from comment.

Lucius was predictable as ever, "Ahhhh, Severus, if she were only pureblood and in your house you could guide her…. education…. and her loyalties."

You saw one more mask than was normal descend over Severus' face. "She would still be an annoying know-it-all Lucius. Are you certain you'd rather have her that close to Draco?" You smiled. One again, only Severus and the Master ever got the better of your husband in a verbal battle.

As often as not Lucius would be away on 'business' when Professor Snape joined you for dinner, even more so after the Dark Lord's graveyard resurrection at the close of Draco's fourth year,. The fact that the two of you were alone did not change the topic of conversation. "Bloody Gryffindors." You dared not laugh.

You knew part of Severus' animosity towards James Potter had been transferred to Harry and then…. Sirius…. Had the two of you not been alone you'd have never heard the story of Sirius' escape. At the conclusion of the tale all you could ask was, "Severus, why do you not go to the ministry and let them know?"

He sneered at you and the cold black fire of his eyes snapped, "As if Fudge would believe that. The Boy Who Lived, a 13 year-old muggleborn witch, McNair's escaped condemned deranged hippogriff, and a time turner facilitated Sirius Black's escape. They'd have me in St. Mungo's inside of an hour."

You laughed. "I know my Draco and he probably deserved the Hippogriff bite!"

Severus tried to scowl, failed miserably, and ended up with one abrupt bark of laughter that was music to your ears. As soon as it had come his mirth was gone, "For the sake of that maniacal cousin of yours three students attacked me."

Your breath shook, " Severus, I want you to know that I always believed the manner in which Sirius treated you was shameful. So shameful in fact… " You faltered, not sure whether to continue. You could feel the waves of bitterness rolling off of him and took a deep breath to continue. " I told Auntie Eurydice after your OWLS. That was the last straw for me. And for her too I suppose. She always respected your family so much. She never forgave him."

You watched the light of comprehension cross his face followed by a sad smile, "Bittersweet revenge after all these years, my dear."


	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine and I'm not profiting any by playing with them. All the knuts and kudos go to J K Rowling , etc.

For a moment there was nothing to be heard save the slow crackle of the fire. Your winter parlor was never a grand enough room in Lucius estimation to be used often for entertaining but it suited these tete a tete's you'd been having with Severus. You could only imagine what his students would think to see him so relaxed. Clad in his elegant dress robes the colour of iridescent black pearl with one long leg draped casually over the arm of the ebonized, ivory upholstered Gainsborough chair he was a picture of calm.

The heart of the flames in the grate burned no hotter than the indignant wrath in his eyes. When he spoke you were surprised to hear him return to the subject of Sirius, "What disturbs me the most concerning Black is the sway he has gained over those three blasted Gryffindors, especially Miss Granger. I feel certain she'd never have been tempted to break Ministry regulations were it not for his questionable influence."

In that simple statement he revealed to you that which he probably had not even admitted to himself. What you suspected before you were certain of now. Professor Snape had a care for one of his students, and a muggleborn Gryffindor, at that!

You cast your mind back to the World Cup Quidditch Match and the brief glimpse it had afforded you of the young lady in question. She was utterly unremarkable in appearance. All you could recall was a cloud of unruly brown hair and an ordinary face that was either appealing or appalling in its inability to conceal her slightest thought or emotion.

You let a half smile play across your face, "I don't doubt that Miss Granger could certainly benefit from other company or perhaps her own counsel rather than that of Lily and James' boy and one of that Weasley brood."

You heard Severus sigh a second too long to be simple frustration and just short of being longing, "I am not given to idle daydreams as you well know, nor do I have a habit of concerning myself overmuch with students lives, especially those of other houses. Still, I wish there could be a moment in time when she's given due credit for her accomplishments and is allowed to step out of the long shadow of the bloody Boy-Who-Lived and his faithful sidekick."

Prior to that moment you'd generally suspected Snape's loyalties had been awarded according to his own instincts of self-preservation. . Standing up to Lucius to ensure Draco's attendance at Hogwart's and subsequent immersion in Snape's sphere of influence had been a self motivated enough action that had evened things between Lucius and Severus. However, wishing to show favor to Granger would benefit Snape in no way that you could imagine. He was allowing you a glimpse once again that altered your perception of his motives.

You decided to test him a little, "It must be difficult to not be able to aknowledge your best student as such."

You took his silence as encouragement," Not all in our world hold her birth against her."

His eyes caught and held your own trapped, "But enough do." Your eyes stayed locked for a moment more before he fell to studying the fire again adding almost inaudibly, "And I must."

------------------------

The pattern remained unchanged for almost two years. Not more than a fortnight, quite often less, passed without the Head of Slytherin gracing Malfoy Manor's hideously baroque dining room. With or without Lucius present there were only two topics of discussion: Your son and the Gryffindor III. Only now you knew that there was worry mixed with the irritation with which Snape described Miss Grangers parts in the extra-curricular student exploits.

When Kreacher came to you to seek service you knew events were about to become interesting. You endeavored to hide from your husband that your newest house elf had most probably come straight from Sirius' presence. You kept the miserable being as far as possible out everyone's way. Your cousin had brought as much infamy to the name of Black as any other family member yet you still honoured the blood tie. You had never mixed in Lucius 'politics' or 'business' and you weren't going to begin now by handing him Sirius Black.

Unfortunately nothing that happened in the Manor went unnoticed by Lucius. Whether your husband believed you to be ignorant enough to not grasp the importance of the situation with the house elf you never found out. Kreacher was never directly mentioned to you. Even the fact that after a day's questioning the elf was sent back to the Black Family home was only acknowledged in an offhand way by your self satisfied husband as he gloated, "For once, 'Cissa, I am glad that Sirius Black is your cousin."

An involuntary shudder passed through you. Evil spawned many years ago would soon be coming home to roost. Lucius mistook your feelings of foreboding for revulsion and drew you into a gentle embrace murmuring into whisps of hair at your temple, "I know Sirius has never been your favorite relative. I have taken care of all of it all, darling." He placed a kiss on your forehead adding, "Soon, 'Cissa. Soon all our discomforts, all our displeasures will be but a memory. I promise you that."

He came to your bed that night. Contact of that sort had waned to almost nonexistence in the years since Draco's birth. But that night and continuing for the next few months it was almost as if you were newlyweds again.

It was never a love match for either of you. You knew that Lucius valued you. He made that quite clear.

The face of a Death Eater he reserved for others. At home he was a good husband and father. Strict, stern, but caring. You'd never particularly agreed with his politics (despite being a scion of the Black family) and you certainly were no supporter of the Dark Lord. Neither had Lucius expected you to be, thankfully .To his mind you were well away from those sordid dealings. Malfoy ladies were to be above all that.

You were beginning to remember all the reasons you had thanked your lucky stars as a young bride that it was Lucius you'd ended up with rather than any of the other eligible purebloods of your time. Physically he was still gorgeous and welcoming him back to your bed was no hardship. He was and accomplished and tender lover, if somewhat lacking in passion, It has always been Lucius way to treat you as if you were fragile and precious -- in or out of bed. What existed between you was bound by the old ways of chivalry. Courtly Love it had once been called. Respect, trust and affection were all yours and your son's . So many Slytherin brides had fared much worse.

You felt the Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's head for the rest of Draco's fifth year. One morning in June brought Severus Snape through your hearth with a look on his face that told you it had finally dropped.

You were in the winter parlour again. Lacking the fire in the grate to stare into and the dark shadows of the evening to hide in Severus Snape seemed at a loss. All around him the simplicity or perhaps the severity of the ebony wood and ivory damask of the understated George III furnishings contrasted with the many highly figured, highly coloured Chinese porcelain vases, urns and bowls. In full teaching robes and pacing the marble floor before you he resembled nothing more than a great angel of Death.

"Come Severus, sit. I shall send for tea."

Wordlessly he collapsed on the sofa next to you. An elf laid service for two out on the ebony occasional table at your knees and vanished. You pressed a cup into Snape's hand, while his eyes never left the floor.

"Dead or Azkaban?" you asked.

Pain filled black eyes flew up to yours, "What? How..."

You didn't quite have the strength to laugh but managed a small smile, "Just a good guess, my friend. Hogwart's or some other place?"

You heard the Potion's Master adopt his flat lecture tone, "Not Hogwart's. The Ministry of all places and no Lucius is not dead. Draco was not even present, thankfully."

"There's more though?" you prompted.

Snape's face remained carefully blank. "Yes, there's more. Sirius Black is dead, at Bellatrix' hand.... And Lucius has been sent to Azkaban."

You felt the blood drain from your face even though the news was not unexpected. In that moment Severus reached for your hand and held it, a rare physical gesture from him. "I will make sure that you and Draco are treated fairly. I promise you."

You looked up into Snape's eyes and saw for a second all seven levels of his private hells. You asked quickly, "And Miss Granger? I trust she came through all right?"

There was such a sense of shock and a revelation of the great tangled web of his emotions in his stare that you continued, "Of course the Dark Lord's business had to have been with Mr. Potter and one can only assume the involvement of the rest of the Gryffindor triad."

Snape swallowed convulsively and ran his free hand through his already disheveled hair, "She is not unscathed but she will recover, as will the rest of that unholy trinity." The bitterness in his voice was so pure it crept like wormwood into your own heart.

"There was nothing you could have done to stop her," you offered.


	3. chapter three

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine and I'm not profiting any by playing with them. All the knuts and kudos go to J K Rowling , etc.

It was little more than a few weeks until the Dementors deserted Azkaban to join with the Dark Lord. Fudge surprised even you by bowing to the Malfoy millions once again in allowing Lucius to return to be placed under 'house arrest' at Malfoy Manor. The tracking and binding charms placed on your husband by the Aurors were almost laughable. No wonder the tide seemed to be turning for the dark side if that was the best they could do.

You finally got the full account of the Ministry battle from Lucius , and of the casualties from Draco once term had ended.

Lucius was surprisingly gentle in his account of how your sister had killed your cousin. Draco was surprisingly ungentle in his account of the injuries Hogwart's students had sustained. You suspected more than half your son's rancor had its genesis in his jealousy of all the attention Triumvirate received. "Potty got off easy, the Weasel's got scars that may never heal. The mudblood ended up in the hospital wing taking 10 different potions a day. Professor Snape didn't look happy to be having to brew them all either," he ended, smirking just like his father.

Lucius added, "If only your dear Godfather would slip her some untraceable poison." Your husband missed the flash of pure panic that crossed Draco's face at that suggestion. Neither did Draco notice that it mirrored the look in your own eyes.

Lucius' 'incarceration' at the Manor placed you as his proxy in the Hogwart's Quidditch stands in Draco's 6th year. You eschewed the Slytherin section in favor of a seat in the teachers box next to Snape. If someone had told you 20 years ago that you and Severus would team again to be Lucius eyes in Hogwart's you'd have laughed outright.

Life had held different promised for young Slytherins then; the Dark Lord's promises. They were being offered now to the next generation, empty though they were. Perhaps your husband was blinded to that fact but neither you nor Severus were anymore.

You were pulled out of your tangled thoughts by the feeling of eyes on you. Looking up you found the dark gaze of Gryffindor prefect Hermione Granger focused on you. You allowed yourself a bland smile in her direction as you slipped your arm through Severus' and placed your hand in the pocket of his outer robes. Not only were your hands truly cold, you were also testing Miss Granger's reaction. A determined and thoughtful look came to the girl's face, which could almost have been mistaken for common interest in Lucius Malfoy's wife or Draco Malfoy's mother. That is, until Severus absently patted your hand inside his pocket without even dropping his eyes from play in a gesture so obviously borne of years of familiarity. Out of the corner of your eye you could see her face darken with emotion. Whether your mere presence repulsed her Gryffindor sensibilities or she was jealous of your contact with her Potions Professor you could not say.

The stands had erupted around you then as the Potter boy had caught the snitch winning the game: Gryffindor 180/ Hufflepuff 20. Granger and the rest of her house were swept down onto the pitch to congratulate the victors where she was caught up in a hug by team Captain Weasley and Potter that lifted her feet off the ground and had her shrieking in abandon. Not only you marked the pained scowl of the Head of Slytherin. Your eyes met the Headmaster's briefly. Dumbledore inclined his head to you, "I trust you have enjoyed yourself, Narcissa?"

You smiled, "Yes, sir. Now I have an idea why Draco speaks so seriously of playing Gryffindor. The Potter boy is certainly a worthy opponent." You were thinking, 'only on the pitch, I hope.'

Dumbledore seemed to understand, "That he is, my dear. Will you be joining us for the rest of the season?"

You were on the verge of answering in the affirmative when you realized that you never knew, no one knew, when the Dark Lord could destroy the world as it was known. You schooled your features into a characteristic Malfoy sneer and replied, "I plan to sir, fate willing." You could not stop your voice wavering at the last. The Headmaster had dropped his gaze then and let one gnarled hand drop on your shoulder.

Christmas Holidays that year were not so festive as was standard. The Ministry kept close tabs on all Lucius visitors to the Manor and your usual Yule party guest list was entirely unsuitable. Little did that matter to the Dark Lord, however. His holiday revelry continued unabated. Despite his state of house arrest, Lucius had not missed a summons of the Master. You could only wonder that the Ministry had not seen fit to guard "Public Enemy #2" with charms and spells stronger than a fourth year could break. At any rate, Lucius and Severus too had been kept busy.

You still managed to have a family gathering with some semblance of normalcy. As your husband, son and his godfather sat down to Christmas dinner for a moment you heart forgot the circumstances and you envisioned the day that Draco would come home for the holidays with a family of his own and perhaps even Snape after all these years would find companionship. Then thoughts came tapping into your mind. This time next year Draco would be preparing to take the Dark Mark. And Severus... you despaired that anyone would ever take the time to fight through all his defenses in light of his role in things.

You'd many years ago realized there was no hope of ever seeing Lucius' loyalties change. He would never lay his prejudices to the side for long enough to see clearly.

But just for that day you had the men of your life together and safe.

By New Year's all hell had broken loose. The Death Eaters had gone on a killing spree the likes of which had not been seen since Godric's Hollow, 31 October, 1981. Every Muggle family that had a student enrolled at Hogwart's had been tortured and killed. Only the fact that Dumbledore had refused to allow the Muggleborn children to leave for the hol's had prevented further bloodshed.

That missed opportunity had enraged Lucius no end, "Meddling old man. We could have rid the school of Mudbloods in a day. A few less Muggles in the world hardly makes a difference, but at least it sent a message."

You could feel the blood drain from your face and saw that reflected in your son.

New Year's Eve was like a wake and not an Irish one. Only Lucius was unaffected, "I understand things may be more difficult for a short while especially at Hogwart's. The Dark Lord's loyal servants will be rewarded soon enough."

You could only sigh. It was the same line you'd been hearing for 15 years.


End file.
